White Beer

The Perfect Warm-Weather Drink

3- White beers are typically served in tall glasses because of their fluffy heads

Aside from the more coupe-shaped glasses that you’re likely to see Berliner weisse served in, I generally prefer taller glasses for my wheat beers. They give the head a chance to fluff up to its full potential.

This, of course, seems counterintuitive to many American beer drinkers; lots of us have grown up seeing beer poured down the inside of the glass until a virtually headless top reaches the upper rim. And while this may be better for drinking quickly and showing off on TV commercials, it does nothing for allowing the beer its fullest expression. Wheat beers typically have fluffier heads, and, as so much of appreciating beer (and wine and whisky) is a result of texture and aroma as much as it is flavor, you’ll want to pour the beer into a vessel that will allow all aspects of its character to shine as brightly as possible.

And as for whether or not to add a slice of lemon or orange, you’ll hear as many thoughts on that as there are people who love these beers. My best advice is to taste your first beer without a slice and your second beer with. At the very least, it’s a great justification for two beers all in the name of “research.”

4- White beer is one of the most versatile beers to pair with food

As with wine, the best beers to enjoy with a meal are often not the high-octane blockbusters but the more subtle, balanced ones. Just like food, you don’t want one aspect of a flavor experience to overwhelm everything else. Spaghetti with tomato sauce and meatballs can be great, for example, but not if all you taste is garlic and salt.

The same is true with pairing beer and food: Big, dramatic bruisers may be fantastic at the end of the night with chocolate cake, a cigar or a steak, but wheat beer will tend to work better throughout a meal, from the salad to the meat or fish, and all the way through to the cheese course. The balance and mouthwatering nature of these beers means that they’re an excellent go-to brew when you’re not sure what to pair with your dish or when there are multiple courses and you just want one glass to carry you through until dessert.

5- Take advantage of the yeast at the bottom of the bottle of white beer

If you hold a bottle of unfiltered wheat beer up to the light, you’ll see a sludge-like substance at the bottom of the bottle. Unlike wine with sediment, which you definitely want to pour off of it and leave in the bottle, this yeast is something you want to take full advantage of. There’s tons of flavor in it.

After pouring your bottle most of the way out, cup the bottom of it between your open palms and gently roll it back and forth, releasing any of it from the glass. Give it a quick swirl and then pour the remainder into your glass. What comes out will likely look vaguely lacy as its comes to rest on top of the beer’s head. Aesthetics and propriety aside — some people would never dream of doing this — this is all about enhancing the beer’s flavor, which this step will most definitely accomplish. It will also add a bit more head to the beer, which is always a good thing with these brews.